Awning



J. L. STUART March 4, 1930.

AWNING Filed Jan. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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F l l l I l i I ll I l l l l l I 1 J H k8 A J. L. STUART March 4, 1930.

AWNING Filed Jan. 26, 1.929 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (L Z-m1 $6M? My 714 A TTORNE YS.

: 55 was fatentcl .4, 193d FICE I i f -Jo' N LENKRD sTUARnoF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AWNING Application .fi l ed January 26, 1929. Serial No. 335,291.

' I My-invention relates to awnings of the disappearing type,

tion are similarto those set ment upon the awning for which United States Letters Patent No. 1,594,643 were issued to me August 3rd, 1926; I

I The general objects of ,my present invenforth in my said patent, viz :.to. provide means for positivelymovingthe awning, both to extend and to retract it, sothat it can be positioned at any angle without referenceto the effect of gravi ty; to provide 'an' awning Which, when re v tracted, Wlll oc'cupyno more space than that building wall; to provide means for supporting and operating the awning which may be wholly housed within such recess, so that "there need be no rods or other parts extending into the interiorof'the building or down the frontthereof; and to provide an adjustablemounting whereby the slope or inclina-- tion of the awning may be varied. 1

More specifically, the objects of my present invent-ion are to provide improved means for extending and retracting the awning, to

the end that friction may bereduced to a minimum; to provide improvedmeansfor compensating for the increasingeffective di-- ameter'of the roller as the awning cover is wound thereupon, so that said cover is taut I *Iatall times and to simplify the entire mechanlsm, so that its cost of manufacture is re-' increased. e j

V v.For purposes of illustration, I have herein described and illustrated, as va typicalem-f "bodinrent of myinventioin-an awning capaduced and its efficiency and durability are blei of extension from a building wall at a sli'ghtflinclination from the horizontal. It

will ,be fobviousyhowever, that the awning,

. when suitablyvmounted, may be extended in any direction, andthat it: may be made to occupy any of'a great varlety of posit ons,

without material change inits construction.

It is tofbeiunderstood, moreover, that the forin and construct on hereln shown anddescribed may be varied, within the limits of theclaim s hereto appended, without depart- 'ingfromthe spirit of the invention las expressed in said claims.

and constitutes an improve-,

= With this in View a typical embodiment of my invention will now be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of my awning as mounted in a building wall, showing it in partly extended position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, enlarged, of one ofthe spring cushioned operating links.

F ig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing means for adjusting the slope of the awning.

Fig. 41 is a sectional detail showing the means for attaching the driving gear to the operating rod. I

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and'enlarged.

Fig. 6' is a sectional detail taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1 and enlarged.

the line 1O- 1O of 3.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 5 designates a building wall, and 6 is the usual recess formed therein for the reception of theawning when retracted. The canvas orflexible cover 7 of the awn ng is wound upon a roller. 8, which is rotatably mount ed in brackets 9 secured, within the recess 6. The forward edge of the cover 7 is secured to. a barlO. A'pair of toggle arms .11 are pivotally connected at 12 with said bar 10. I A secondpair of toggle arms 13 have their outer ends pivotally connected with the innerends of the arms 11 by joints to be described later,the length of the arms 13 be-' ing the same asthat of the arms 11. The inner ends of the arms 13 are pivotally mounted at 14 on brackets 15 adjustably secured to fixed brackets '16, which are 7 fastened to the wall .5.

c The connection between the adjacent ends ofthe toggle arms 11 and'13 may be a simple pivot, but I prefer to employ the connection shown in Figs. 1 and 6, in which said arms are pivoted, at 17, ton. connecting member 18, which comprises two spaced plates rigidly joined by a neck 19, one of said plates lying above and the other below the ends of the arms 11 and 13. The ends of said arms are further provided with intermeshing gear segments 20, so that the angular relation between the arms 11 and the connecting members 18 is always thesame asthat between the arms 13 andsaid members. 7

: The mechanism for swinging the toggle arms 11 and 13 to move the bar 10 towardor "away from the wall 5, and thereby to retract or extend the awning, comprises a rotatable horizontal shaft21, mounted in suitable bearings'22 and'also journaled in the brackets '9, and provided with oppositely threaded screw portions23. Nuts 24 engage said screws and are connected with the inner togglearms 13 by links25, whose ends are respectively-pivoted, at 26 and 27 to said nuts and said arms The links 25 are spring cushioned, as shown. in Fig. 2. Each comprises end members 28 and 29 which carry the pivots 26 and 27, and

a pair of tubular telescoping body members 30 and'31. A compression spring 32 is housed within said body members, bearing against the end members 28 and 29 An adjustable stop is provided for limiting the extension of the link, said stop comprising a'pair ofrods 33 and 34 whose inner ends are provided with heads or stop lugs 35 and 36 Fig. 9, adapted to abut against each other. The lug 35 is secured to the end of the rod 33 and rides upon the rod 4 and the lug 36 is secured to the rod 34 and rides uponthe rod 33, when the spring is compressed. The outer endsof the rods are extended through the end members 28 and 29 and are provided'with nuts 37 and 38, Fig. 2, by which the effective length of said rods, and therefore the maximum extension of the link, may be adjusted.

It will readily be seen that when the shaft 21, Fig. 1, is rotated in one direction, the nuts 24are moved apart, and the linksf25 force the toggle arms 11 and 13 outwardly, thereby moving the bar outwardly, without endwise movement and in parallel relation to the roller8, and extending the awning; and when said shaft is rotated in the other direction, the reverse movement of said nuts, links, and toggle arms, retracts said awning. Although I have shown theoperating mechanism as positioned below the cover 7, it is obvious that it may be above if desired. In either case, the entire awning, including the cover 7, and bar 10, and all the operating mechanism', is housed when retracted-within the a set screw 41 which prevents endwise move =7 ment of the gear upon its shaft; Any convenient mechanism may be employed for ro-- and the roller 8 are positively driven in exi tending and retracting the awning. The various parts are so proportioned that the cover is wound on" or ofi the-roller 8 at approximately ,the same speed as the simultaneous movement of the bar 10. The springs-32 in the links 25 keep approximately the same tension on the cover 7 at all times, and'compensate for the slight speed difierential between. the movements of the roller 8 and the bar 10,

such as is caused by the" varying effective diameter of said roller as the cover is wound on or off, and also for expansion and contraction of the cover due to climatic changes.

In order to insure that the total travel of thebarlOshall be equal to thetotal travel, of the cover 7 aswound'on or off the roller 8,'and also to provide the proper tension upon I said cover, the following ad ustment is made. 1

The set screw 41 is loosened and the gear 39 is moved endwise along the shaft 21 out. of mesh with the gear 39' the'key way in gear being loose enough to'permit such move 7 ment. The roller 8 is then turned, by its op 1 crating means 42 and 43, to win'd'lup the cover 7, the shaft 21 remaining stationary because the gears 39 and '39 are out of meshf ,When the desired tension upon the cover 17 is obtained, the gears 39-and 39? are again meshed 1 tating the interconnected shaft and rollen: 7

and the former is locked in position set screw 41.

In order to provide adjustment of the adjustable bracket15 and has a'bearing in the fixed bracket 16, said flange freely sur-V rounding the shaft 21. -An arcuate slot 45 is provided in the bracket 16, through whicha clamp'bolt 46 extends to lock the two. brackets slope, inclination or elevation of the awning when extended, the brackets 15, by which the toggle arms 13 are supported, are angularly together. Asecond arcuate slot 47 isformed 30 E20 i I i a parts 52 and 58, the former secured to the end insaid fixed bracket, through which extends I a stud 48 secured to the adjustable bracket.

, Q T he .headof an screw 4 9 .is inountthe axis or ed upon said stud, saidiscrew extending ,up-

wardlythrough aflange 50 on the'fixed bracks." 'et and havingv a nut 51 above said flange,

Thus by screwingupror down on said nut,

' when the clamp bolt eti is loose, the bracket is, moved in a verticalplaneangularly about the shaft 21 to vary the slope'of the awning. a

When the awning isset up with considerable slope, as showniin Fig. 7, it is desirable that 'the front bar lO be elevated above'the i ends of tl ejarms 11 80111213 when the awning is fullyretracted, said bar will occupy a posiauras close to the r roller 8 as possible.

I therefor provide brackets as shown in Figs: :1 and'T for connectlng the bar 10 tothe arms 11'. Each of said blPlCliBfiSCOl'lSlSt-S of two,

of thearm 11 at Mand'risingon an inward curve therefrom, as, shownin side elevation in Fig, 7.] The part 53 fits over and is bolted a-t,5 5 to the curved portionofthe pa t 52, and

i and isoifset to provide the; pivotal connection l2 with the bar all), as shown in Fig. When the, awning is installed and the slope set at the {desired angle, the" part 53 is secured tothe curved part- 52 in such aposition that the bar 10,- when retracted, will come as close to'the roller8 as possible. If the slope is steep, the

part 53 will besecured nearthe upper end of thepart 52, as shown in full lines, but if the slope approaches the horizontal, the part i ".33-will be secured farther down upon the part h 56 at both end s of their gearteeth, as shownv in Figs. 1 and ,6. The outward movement of [said arms may also beylimited by, adjustable V 52, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 and the projectin end of the latter may then be cut off; Q

I It. is preferablethat the movements of the toggle 'arms'll and '13 be limited positively at both extremes. For-this purpose,fI' pro-;

vide the gear segments with abutting facesstops '57 securedto the'bearings 22 and adapted for engagement by the nuts 24. The stops 7 are-so positioned thatthe pivots 12, 14, and i 17 of the arms 11 and13 lie in a straight line I when said armsare fully extended, so that said arms rigidly resist any; force acting upon theba'r 10 to move it inwardly, such as is Q causedby wind pressure against the cover 7. A modified arrangement of togglearms or "leversfor moving thebanl'O infland out in' -para11 1 relation tothe covercarrying' roller is illustrated in lTig- -lfi'l he armslfl and 13,

instead of'having thegear segments2O shown yin Fig.1, are pivoted together atz17 The I spring cushioned link has an extension .58,

,7 which is pivotallyqconnected with'the armll a'link 59 paralleliwiththe arm 18. By this arrangement the arms 11 and 13 are posilively fo ed ythe movement of the nut 24 upon the screw 23.

It should be noted that, on account of the arrangementof the described operating mechanism, the front 'member or bar 10 0f the awning may be moved in or o.ut,-.positively and smoothly, and that such movement may take place equally well ,in any direction, irrespective of theeffects ofgravity. Thusth'e awning may be extended horizontally, or inclined upwardly or downwardly, or may be extended yerticaHy upward or sideways, or

may even be mounted upon an incline laterally to conform to a sloping street, if the sup porting brackets 16 be properly positioned It should also be noted that the simultaneous operation of the frame extending means the cover carry ng roller prevent any'sag; ging or bunching ofv the cover, and that the resilient construction of the links 25 automatically takes care of anydifferential mcvement, keeps the cover taut at all times, and

can be adjusted easily to provide the proper tension on said cover. The operating mechanism as shown and described provides a convenient, positive, and easily operated device" for extending and retraeting theawning and formaintaining the front member or barlO in parallel relation to the roller 8.

This. form of operating mechanism I also lends itself very well to the ready adjustment of the slope or inclination of the awning, such adjustment being effected without inter-fen for "moving said bar comprising an arm pivotallv mounted upon said support; a's'econd arm having its innerend pivotally connected with the outer end of the first arm" and its oi terend pivotally connected with said bar;

a-link separate from the second arm and piv-. ota'lly connected with the first mentioned arm; and means for moving said link to extendgand retract .theiframe.

r y 2. In an awning structure having. a fixed support, a movable bar, and a flexible cover extending between them, an extensible frame formoving said bar comprising an armpivotallylmounted upon said support; a second arm having its inner end-pivotally connected withthe outer endof the first arm audits outer end'pivotally connected with said bar;

a resilient link pivotally connectedwith the firstmentioned arm' and means for moving said link to extend and retract said frame.

3, In an awningstructure having a fixed support, a movablebar, and a flexible cover extending between them, an extensible frame for moving said-bar comprisinganarin' pivotally mounted upon said support; a second arm having its inner 'end-pivotally connected with the outer" end of the-first arm and its.

outer end pivotally'connected with saidbar; a link-'havingtwo relatively movable portions, one of'fwhich is'pivotally connected with the first mentioned arm; aspring con necting said link portions; and means for moving the other link portion to extend and retract said frame. Y I

.4. In an awning structure having a fixed support, a movable bar, and a flexible cover extending between them, an extensible frame for'moving said bar comprising an arm piv otally mounted upon said support; a second arm having itsinner end pivotally connected with the outer end of the first arm' and its outer end :pivotally connected with'said bar; alink having two relatively movably portions, one of which is pivotally connected with the first mentionedarm; a spring connectingsaidlink portions;-means for limiting the relative movement of said portions; and means for moving thG'OthQI link portion to extend and retract said'frame.

5. In an awning structure having a fixed support, a movable bar, anda flexible cover extending between them, an extensible frame for moving said bar comprising an arm pivotally mounted upon said support; a second arm having its inner end pivotally connected withthe outer end of the first arm andits outer end pivotally connected with said bar; a link comprising'telescoping end portions,

one of which is pivotallyconnected with the first'mentioned arm;a helical spring within and guided by said end portions for relatively moving them; a rod secured to eachend port on, said rods ly ng within said spr1ng;:'in-' ter-engaging lugs carried by said rods for limiting their relat ve movement; and means for moving the other link portion toextend and retract said frame 6. In an awning structure having a fixed support, a movable bar, and a flexible cover extending between them, an extensible frame for moving said bar comprising'anarm pivotally mounted upon said support; second; arm having its inner end pivotally connected with the outer end of the fir'stjarm and its outer end pivotally connected with said bar; a link separate from vthe second arm and having its outer end pivotally connected with the first mentioned arin;"a screwfrotatably 7 carried by'said support; a nut engagingsaid screw and connected with the inner end of said link; and means for rotating said-screw to extend and retract said frame;

7. In an awning structurehaving a fixed support, a movable bar, and a'flexible cover, extending between them, an extensible frame for moving said bar J comprising a bracket fixed to said support; movablebracketfadjustably secured to said fixed bracket for vertical swinging iinovenien t; a "pair .of toggle arms having their :adja'cent ends fpivotally connected together and their other ends pivotally'connected with saidbar and saidmov able bracket respectively; a link gpivotally connected with one of said'arms andseparate from the other; and means for moving said'liiik to extend and retract said frame,

8. An awning comprisinga fixed'suppo'rt; a roller mounted thereupon; a flexible cover wound upon said roller;'a bar to which the outer edge of said cover is secured; means for rotating "said roller; and :meansconnected with said roller and operable in timed relation thereto for moving, said bar toward and away from said support, the last men:- tioned means including a resilient connection adapted to keep said cover taut.

9; An awning comprising a fixed support; I

a'roller mounted'thereupon; a flexible cover wound upon-said roller;'a bar to which the outer edge of said cover is secured a system of levers for moving said bar toward and away fromsaid support, said system int cluding a resilient connection; and means interconnecting said roller andsa-id levers for e V movement intimedrelation:

10. An awning comprising a fixed sup "port; a roller mounte'd'thereupon; a flexible cover wound upon said roller; a bar to which the outer edge of said cover s secured; piv otal arms movably connect ng said bar and said support; a rotatable shafthaving a screw thread thereon; a nut engaging said thread; a resilient link connecting said nut V screw thread thereon;"a nut engaging said 1 thread; a resilient link connecting said nut and StLlCi arms; meanslfor rotating saidroller and Silld shaft simultaneously; and means forrotatingsaid' roller and said shaft inde pendently. .i

12; An awning comprising a fixed sup-., port"; a roller mounted thereon; a flexible cover wound upon said roller; a bar to which the outer edge of said cover is secured; a system'of horizontally movable leversrfory moving said bar toward and away from said a support, said system nclud ng a resilient connection; an "adjustable mounting upon said support to which said system of levers is connected adapting them for angular vertical movement; and means for rotating said roller and moving said levers in timed relation.

13. In an awning structure comprising a fixed support, amovable bar, and a flexible ,30 I 5 extending between them; a system of levers an arm pivotally mounted upon said support;

a second arm pivotally connected with said cover extending between them an extensible frame for. moving said bar comprising bar; intermeshing gear segments securedto the' adjacent ends of said arms; and a memberpivotally connected with said arms at the axes of said segments.

14. In an awning structure comprising a fixed support, a movable bar, and a flexible 7 cover extending between them, an extensible frame for moving'said bar comprising an arm pivotally mounted upon said support;

a secondrarm pivotally connected with said bar; intermeshing gear segments secured to the adjacent ends ofsaid arms apair'of '7 spaced plates pivotally connected with said arms at the axes of said segments, oneplate lying on each side of said segments; and a 2 15. In an awning structure having a fixed support, a'movable bar, and a flexible cover rigid connection between saidplates.

'fextending between them; a system of levers for moving said bar tow'ardand away from a said support; an upwardly extending member pivotally-connecting one of said levers i with said bar; and means for varying the effective length of said member.-

16. In an awningstructure having a fixed support,- a movable bar, and a flexible cover for moving said bar toward and away from "said support; a bracket, fixed to said support; a movable bracket securedto saidfixed v 35 plane, said system of levers being carried bracket for angular adjustment ina vertical by said movable bracket; and a screw having one end connected with said movable bracket and the other with. said fixed bracket and adapted to adjust the angular relation between said brackets.

17. In an awning structure havingafixed support, a movable bar, and a flexible cover extending betweenthem; a system of levers ,formoving said bar toward and away from said support; a shaft r'otatably mounted upon saidv support for operating said levers; a

bracket fixed to said support and provided .jtureand surrounding said shaft, said system of'levers being carried 1 by said movable I bracket;'and means for adjusting the an,

, gular relation between said brackets.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine'tothis specification;

JOHN-VLENARD STUART. 

